Sculeni customs post officials, detained today by anticorruption prosecutors and officers, were extorting money from citizens, crossing the state border to skip the checks of goods. The statement was made in a briefing on Tuesday, December 13 this year, by Bodgan Zumbreanu, head of Directorate for Criminal Prosecution under the NAC.

According to him, the prosecution for passive bribery, committed by officials of the Customs Service, was initiated in late October. "The persons concerned did not specify the exact amount of goods and did not execute import duties documents. These actions deprived the state budget of the financial resources, which had to be paid as taxes or customs duties on imported goods. The amounts ranged between 50 and 200 euros, depending on the value of the goods to be imported," Zumbreanu said.

In total, 18 searches have been conducted today, which resulted in the detention of 15 employees of Ungheni Customs Office, among them are the head of Ungheni Customs Office, his deputy, the chief of the customs post, three heads of shifts and nine customs officials. "Searches have been conducted at residences, offices and in automobiles of the detained persons. Later, the criminal proceedings will establish the damages, caused to the state budget," Zumbreanu added.

In 72 hours, prosecutors will decide whether to request the court apply the measure of preventive arrest with respect to the persons detained.